Curriculumbits.com offers a free online library with access to multimedia e-learning resources in many subject areas such as biology, chemistry, English, French, German, physics, performing arts, and physical education among others. The menu on the left has links to the subjects and the number of activities you will find. Most of them use Flash. Read reviews to help determine which ones would best meet your needs. Sign up for the newsletter, rank your favorites, or even share on social media.

In the Classroom

Use Curriculumbits.com to enhance the technology in your lessons and capture kids' attention. Use as a model for creating your own videos. Use this tool as an example for students to create videos. Use as a way to review on the subject matter you are currently studying. Discuss the elements needed for creating successful resources. Have our student create videos for summative assessments. Offer gifted students the challenge of synthesizing new knowledge, while you can support differentiation with already made resources, or creating a resource together in a small group. Begin an e-learning school fair at your school, featuring e-learning ideas that students have created. Create a link on your webpage for students to access at home. Share with parents as enrichment to what is happening in your class.

ABC Splash is a large educational website from Australia containing videos, games, and audio clips. Special sections for parents include informational articles, teaching resources, and education news. Choose from primary or secondary level to view offerings sorted into categories or go to games and sort by topic or grade level to find resources. Register on the site to store and save favorite activities for later use. The site was created in the Australia, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from those in American English.

In the Classroom

This site is excellent for enrichment. Include it on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Share this link on your class web page and/or in a parent newsletter for help with homework and school projects. These high-quality media resources will engage your students and enhance their learning.

Ask Smithsonian answers fascinating questions via videos that are less than two minutes long. There is a new video each week. Find out if your interesting science question has an answer here. Sometimes you may think your question is not scientific, such as "Will Chicken Soup Cure a Cold?" or "How Do People Get Phobias?" Well, the answer to those questions is at Ask Smithsonian. Give it a try and see if your question has an answer.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Share a few of these short videos on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Choose a video and have students complete a quick write or Know-Want-to-Know-Learned (KWL) chart to put down what they THINK they know about the topic. Find a ready-made KWL chart at 25 Language Arts Graphic Organizers, reviewed here. Show the video and have students write about what they learned. Use some of them as a segue into a subject you will introduce in class or for mini-research.

National Geographic offers a rich and extensive site for educators through its Education homepage. Scroll through the toolbar near the top of the page to find resources, reference materials, maps, media, collections, and much more. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find what is most popular. For specific content searches use the search bar to find and filter results by grades, subjects, resource type, and audience. A download is also available for iBooks (Apple only). This site is frequently updated. Check back often!

In the Classroom

Be sure to bookmark (or favorite) this site for use throughout the year to find real-world resources for classroom use. Don't forget to look for materials on National Geographic for use with Earth Day and Arbor Day activities! Differentiate easily using the multiple levels of materials found within National Geographic. Some text portions are challenging, so you should pair weaker readers with a partner as they research on this site. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Easel.ly, reviewed here, or Venngage, reviewed here. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from this site using a tool such as Wordle, reviewed here, or WordItOut, reviewed here. If you use Apple products in your classroom, be sure to download the interactive iBooks for use in classroom centers or independent reading.

This collection of books is all about getting students healthy! Read books about healthy habits and personal wellness. This collection of mostly fiction offerings includes books about eating healthy, staying healthy, fitness, wellness, and healthy approaches to sports. This list is especially deep in offerings for upper elementary and middle school students. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles'® to match student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. For more on text complexity and Lexiles'®, see this information from the Lexile Framework. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly. If your library does not have the books, try interlibrary loan!

In the Classroom

This collection could accompany a unit in health, science, or physical education. These books provide experience with both fiction and nonfiction informational texts. They often require students to draw inferences about the "facts." Allow students (or partners) to choose their own book. Share this list with your school library/media specialist or public library, as well, for them to "pull" books in support of your science/social studies units. Extend the experience by having students create visual presentations of the concepts they learn. Challenge students to create a presentation using Prezi, reviewed here, or Zoho Show, (similar to Powerpoint, but easier and free) - reviewed here.

This collection of books teaches students about a wide variety of animals (owls, monkeys, ants, and more). The books also describe various habitats around the world. Travel through the outback of Australia; journey through the chilly Arctic; and learn about the animals and their habitats. Visit the savannah, the wetlands, the desert, and more. CurriConnects thematic book lists include ISBN numbers for ordering or searching, interest grade levels, ESL levels and Lexiles'''''® to match student independent reading levels to challenge, not frustrate. For more on text complexity and Lexiles'''''®, see this information from the Lexile Framework. Don't miss other CurriConnects themes being added regularly. If your library does not have the books, try interlibrary loan!

In the Classroom

This collection could accompany a unit about animals, weather, habitats, landforms, or other topics. Some of these books would also connect well when teaching units (or classes) on character, friendship, coping strategies, and more. These books provide experience with both fiction and nonfiction informational texts. They often require students to draw inferences about the "facts." Allow students (or partners) to choose their own book. Share this list with your school library/media specialist or public library, as well, for them to "pull" books in support of your science/social studies units. Extend the experience by having students create visual presentations of the concepts they learn. Share projects using one of these reviewed presentation tools from the TeachersFirst Edge.

What are the environmental impacts of illicit drug crops? Follow a brief history of addiction on this site. Find specific information about not only the health risks, but also the environmental effects from drug production and use. Find information about tobacco, coffee, opium, cocaine, marijuana, and more by clicking on the images at the bottom of the page. Tie in topics from health class and science.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use this resource when discussing the impact human activity has on the environment. Have student groups collect information from this site to present to others in the class along with the health effects they learned in health class. Be sure to discuss as a class man's environmental impact on the world. Tie in other environmental issues such as monoculture (no matter whether the planted crop is corn or an illicit crop). What environmental laws could combat current soil and pesticide pollution in all crops?

Find interactives to cover many environmental and science topics as well as economics and history. Explore and learn about environmental and political issues through a gaming process. Before dismissing the thought of games in education, check out the About Us section of this site. The activities here are vetted by educators as part of an educational grant. These (mostly) free, browser-based interactives also include answer keys and have been field tested in middle and high school classes. Hover over the Games and Activities tab to choose from the subjects in the drop down menu. Each subject page outlines the activity and includes an informational paragraph and links to the documents. Some interactives require a download to your computer.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use these interactives to review concepts learned during a unit of study. Consider using the interactives at the start of a unit to teach concepts as the material is being learned. Be sure to download the student activity document. Use the pre-questions to identify misconceptions and activate prior knowledge. Directions in the document alert you to the basics of using the interactive. Provide the post-questions to the students as they play the interactive to be aware of what they will be learning. Students can answer the questions individually, as groups, or as a class to review the concepts learned during the interactive and connect it to class. As a class, discuss how the scenario presented in the interactive is or is not like actual environmental issues of today. This would be an excellent activity for gifted students or for those who are ahead in their work in a differentiated classroom.

Join a nationwide monitoring program designed to track the status and trends of bird biology in nesting and reproduction. Receive instructions to become a certified nest watcher, and report findings on a nest every 3-4 days. Enter findings in a growing database that is used to research and study birds. Receive training on how to track data and what the data could mean. Find different birds with their most recent data. Learn about various birds found in your area. Explore an interactive map of nest size, species, and area by year. Review the different nest watch chapters. There are also webcams watching nests. Some of these are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Want to involve students in a country wide scientific investigation? With Nestwatch, students participate in a genuine scientific study with a prestigious university. All background information for participating is provided, along with detailed instructions for procedural steps. Look at the trends in bird nesting over the years and have students discuss causes for the results. In cooperative learning groups, have students defend a logical reason for the results of your study in a multimedia presentation. Find a tool to create a multimedia presentation using one of many TeachersFirst Edge tools, reviewed here. Use this research style as a model for studying endangered species in your area. Read excerpts from literature to gain further background information including literature such as, Silent Spring by Rachel Carsen. In your schoolyard, choose an area to landscape for birds. Watch for other wildlife in your nest spot.

View science careers galore! Although this site is rather "plain vanilla," it is filled with sprinkles of knowledge! If you need ideas for science careers in Earth and Physical Science, this is a great resource. Research careers, find out what employees actually do in these careers, learn the requirements to obtain a job. Along with the salary and degree requirements, view the future job outlook in the career. View video interviews of real scientists and profiles of those currently on the job.

In the Classroom

Be sure to share this resource when discussing scientific careers. Use this site for researching WHAT particular types of scientist DO (with younger students). Assign individual students (or cooperative learning groups) a specific science career option. Place a link to this resource on your teacher web page for students to peruse on their own.

Retronaut is an archive of historical photos, though not your typical photos. These images are sometimes quirky, and generally unexpected. Many have explanations about the period. View images of 1970's rock stars with their parents (Elton John, Frank Zappa, Eric Clapton to name a few). See Selma's Children, What Parisian Fancy Ladies wore in 1906, history's first women aviators, and much more. Explore the site by Most Popular, Featured, or The Latest. Click on an image to view a "capsule" with other related images. Some of the images have links under them for attribution, and you can see and read even more about that topic. Under latest, this reviewer found topics that were just added five days before, so you may want to check back if you do not find what you're looking for. Warning: At the time of this review there were two topics that may be inappropriate for the classroom. Use the URL of the topic you wish to share in a new window or tab of your web browser.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Share Retronaut via Mashable with students to explore images from a given time or relating to any historic topic to get an interesting perspective not typically seen in textbooks. Create capsules using images to share for any classroom project or allow students to create their own in conjunction with classroom presentations. Use Wellcome Images, reviewed here, with over 100,000 historical images if you do not find what you want on Retronaut. Galleries are not moderated, so check before sharing on your interactive whiteboard or projector. You can always use the URL of the topic you wish to share on a new tab of your web browser.

Enjoy science explained musically through clever songs. Discover weekly additions of cleverly written and illustrated songs on topics such as the Periodic Table, How Your Brain Works, 8 Sick Remedies That Actually Work, and more. Each video explains the science behind a surprising fact or the scientific answer to a question like "Can you really be scared to death?" The New Periodic Table song is a must-see. Find it by browsing through the Popular section. Note that this channel is intended for the general, adult public, so some topics (such as sex) are for mature audiences! If your district blocks YouTube, videos may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Mark this one in your teacher favorites to find videos to use at the start of a science or health unit. Make science more appealing as a way to answer the questions we ponder every day. Do NOT turn students loose on this channel. Because of the popular "adult" videos on this channel -- not appropriate for the classroom, but perfectly appropriate for adults -- we recommend locating the specific video you want to share and placing the url or embed code for that one video on your class web page or wiki. You can also share on a projector or interactive whiteboard. To avoid any possibility of showing titles that may cause distraction, use a tool such as ViewPure, reviewed here to clear away all the YouTube clutter. Use an ASAP Science video as inspiration for students to create their own videos explaining a science concept or debunking a science myth. Make this an option for research projects to appeal to your musically talented or "poetic" science students.

DUST now has a replayable version. This means the educator now controls the pace of the game and it can be played at anytime. Immerse students in science using real world media and thinking skills in this fictional world. Students will be intrigued in this scenario: "Clouds of dust from a meteor shower have entered the Earth's atmosphere. Adult's are unconscious and the young people are needed to find the answers." This tool is interactive and features collaborative activities online and in real life. Interact with characters online and use online sites and apps to collaborate with others. Students collect data, analyze information, and upload evidence to solve problems from the story. In each new part of the story, students analyze science clues given through social media as the story unfolds. What sets this interactive apart? There is no fixed ending and it is up to the students to move the story along. The scientific method and critical thinking skills are a major part of the challenge. Clues are given two to three times a week for seven weeks. Provided are downloadable lesson plans for each module (complete with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), learning objectives, instructional plan, and internal & external resources) that teachers can modify to suit their needs.
If interested in using DUST contact arg-team@umd.edu; they will set up a class for you and provide you with the URL and password your students can use to register to access the game.

In the Classroom

Use this tool with students to flex their brain. Explore the hands on activities to gather data to upload. Data is interspersed with information from the clues to move the story along. Use in classes as individuals or as students working in groups. Share this tool on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Consider using this tool with a gifted class or as a science club activity. The Co-Lab (short for Collaboration Laboratory!) is where players communicate their questions, theories, evidence, and notebook posts and has been pre-seeded with character posts for each module to provide models and prompt student responses. Teachers have the ability to modify the pre-seeded posts, to post as any of the characters so that the characters can interact directly with the players, and to moderate student posts to address inappropriate responses. Highlight outstanding student contributions through the ability to feature posts and adapting the provided week-in-review template to personalize it for your class or group.

Create or view Excursions to learn various science topics! Find the available Excursions by clicking on Browse. Click Educational to see the catalog topics in Mathematics, Physics, Biology, and Technology. This site includes Excursions created by the International community. Each Excursion plays like a PowerPoint. Advance through the slides to see embedded content included as part of the Excursion. Content includes Wikipedia entries, websites, quizzes, videos, and more. Create an account to make your Excursion. Click the + sign at the top to create. Add a title, description, and tags. Click to add content (photos, videos, text, quiz, etc.) Have a PowerPoint you would like to use? Export it as a PDF file and upload to Vishub. Another upload possibility is ZIP files, among others. Easy to use tools include changing background, animation, and style. Save, preview, and publish. Favorite and comment on popular excursions. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Encourage students to create an excursion about a topic being studied in science class. This tool would be an excellent alternative to a conventional PowerPoint or other presentation tools. Consider assigning projects where students teach one another using this tool. Gifted students will love learning from already created excursions or extending their learning by creating their own. This tool would be useful for blended or flipped learning. Give students time to absorb information about content. Leave class time for individualized learning.

Fly into the Bald Eagle Foundation, in Haines Alaska, dedicated to the preservation of this national symbol. Discover eagle facts and incredible image galleries. Read more about the museum, festival, and preserve in Haines, Alaska. Be sure to click on Festival on the top menu. Find a YouTube video full of beautiful vistas for Haines, Alaska, plenty of history, and cool, unusual information about the bald eagle. If your district blocks YouTube, this video may not be viewable. You could always view the video at home and bring it to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Study the bald eagle and its current status as no longer endangered. Use as a research site for bald eagle information. Show the video under the Festivals tab on your projector or interactive whiteboard. If you do not wish to show all scenes in the video use a program like Reel Surfer, reviewed here, to show only the portions of the video you want your students to see. Look for an animal in your area, and research it. Do a Problem Based Learning Project on creating dioramas and information for creating public awareness. Create a festival to promote the preservation of the species. Have students create commercials and posters to meet speaking and listening standards. For online posters use a program like CheckThis, reviewed here. Create a public blog for an ongoing research watch. If you have not started blogging yet, check out TeachersFirst Blog Basics.

Join others in over 50 countries around the world in the World Water Monitoring Challenge. The official kickoff for World Water Day is on March 22. However, the challenge continues through December 31. Register to monitor any lake, stream, bay, or any other nearby body of water with safe access. Follow directions to test and monitor your water. There are test kits available for purchase. However, you can create your own. Share data by logging into the site. Visit the Resources page to find activity worksheets, handouts, guides, and lesson plans.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Sign up your classroom or science club to participate in the World Water Monitoring Challenge. Follow directions on the site for how to collect and submit data. Take advantage of lesson plans found on the site in both English and Spanish. Use the lessons and resources as part of an environmental or Earth Day unit. Challenge students to create a presentation using Prezi (reviewed here) sharing their findings.

Partnering with Khan Academy, the Stanford School of Medicine aims to share information about health and medicine with this special section. Not just background information, this section tackles subject matter such as Breastfeeding, Tuberculosis, Influenza, Asthma, and Growth and Metabolism. Some videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Use these videos when discussing health issues or when applying classroom information to students lives. Use the Influenza and Tuberculosis videos when discussing viruses and immunity. Use Growth and Metabolism when discussing the digestive system or during a unit on biological macromolecules (protein, carbohydrates, and lipids.) Students can record questions that arise during the videos to either ask on the Khan Academy site, or to enter in a wiki for further research by other students in the class.

Do you want to use STEM with better learning through design? Bring project based learning through design along with science, technology, engineering, math, AND art with this tool. The Digital STEAM Workshop is a curriculum using Autodesk products, such as AutoCAD and Inventor. Worried you do not know how to use the software? Don't fear! The student materials include extensive information about completing the projects. These projects are real world, engaging challenges for students. Teacher resources are extensive and include project briefs, lesson plans, pre/post tests, and extensive materials for students. Be sure to note the available materials includes prerequisites, ideas for differentiation, extension ideas, and STEAM connections. Be sure to check the For Educators section, as well as the How-To videos. Teacher materials are available as a download. Be sure to look over all the information on the site including the free download link for the software found in the upper right corner. Discuss the installation and use of the software with your Administration or Technology departments to see if it will work on school computers. If your district blocks YouTube, the videos may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

View the basic information. "Start Here" is a good place to start! Choose from the three different levels of information and projects. Be sure to view the lessons and materials under the Teacher Resources section. Select from projects labeled Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced as appropriate. Use a project from the curriculum in place of one activity normally planned through the year. As you become comfortable with using authentic project-based curriculum, consider adding more. Choose from subjects: Architecture, Animation, Engineering, Manufacturing, Maker, STEAM, or Sustainability. These activities would be wonderful challenges for gifted students. Consider looking at student curriculum and creating a class that fits a STEAM model. Incorporate many of these activities into the curriculum. Use projects such as Urban Planning in a variety of different courses in school.

Explore science through fascinating articles in this episodic monthly magazine. Although you can subscribe for a fee, you can also check out past and current issues online for free. As they describe themselves, "We deliver big-picture science by reporting on a single monthly topic from multiple perspectives." The combined perspectives include, "the sciences, culture and philosophy into a single story told by the world's leading thinkers and writers." Each Thursday the site publishes a new "chapter" of that month's thematic issue. Past issue themes include Creativity, Illusions, Genius, Big Bangs, and more. Expect to be fascinated by the many angles. You will want to talk and share about what you learn!This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Share these articles as part of a broad discussion of the role of science in our world, such as during a unit on scientists or careers. Share Nautilus with your gifted or science-focused students to spark interests in scientific fields that are new to them. Assign gifted students to select an article and research it further when they have tested out of regular curriculum. They can share their discoveries as a multimedia presentation or write a blog post about them. Use articles from the magazine as fodder for class debates in English class or pull excerpts to use as writing prompts for informational or expository writing. The reading levels are high school and up, so be sure to partner weaker readers with a more capable reader if using this for class assignments. Check specific reading levels of an article by pasting its url into the Juicy Studio Readability Test, reviewed here.

Discover some of the world's best online courses with SlideRule's search engine. Enter what you want to learn into the search bar. Explore the offerings provided or browse by subject, university, or providers. Narrow results down by starting date, teaching method, or credentials. Each entry includes a short description of the course, fees (many are free!), start dates, length of course, and skill level required. Many classes also include reviews from other SlideRule users. Click the "Enroll" link to go directly to the course or save to your wish list after creating a free account. Some of the videos are hosted on YouTube. Most do not require Flash. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid, reviewed here, to download the videos from YouTube.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Share SlideRule with your gifted students as a resource for finding enrichment resources or content not taught by your school. Search for and share free courses for all students to use for review of any topic. Use the SlideRule search engine to find professional development courses for your own personal use.